Now is ZeTime

“Only when the clock stops does time come to life.”  -William Faulkner

“The true meaning of time is found in the things that happen inside each moment.” -ZeBot

To be fully aware of every moment, zebras have found it’s best to ignore clocks — and just be.

The funny thing is that, when you realize that it’s okay not to keep track of the minutes, hours, days, months and years, time seems to stop.

And yet, somehow, it also goes on forever.

Do you ever get lost inside a moment that’s so amazing, there’s nowhere else to be?

It happens to zebras and kids all the time.

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ZeMost Magical Holiday Gift

“A friend is a gift you give yourself.”  -Robert Louis Stevenson

“A zebra is a friendly gift with stripes.” -ZeBot

My friends have been asking me: “Do zebras celebrate Christmas? Well, of course, we do — zebras celebrate everything!

To us, Christmas is a forever season that brings us magical gifts every day: like friends.

One of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received was the simple discovery that friends can teach you everything you need to know about the art of giving.

Savoring ZeJourney

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

-Ursula LeGuin

ZeBot says:

I’m insatiably curious and pretty nomadic by nature, so it’s not surprising that I spend a lot of time on the road – both literally and metaphorically.

To me, every moment is a journey, with endless possibilities and surprises.

The great thing about being a zebra is that no one really expects anything from you, which makes it very easy not to have any expectations about the world. You just take things as they come, savor every flavor (even the bitter ones), then let them go and move on.

Basically: you just let things (and people) be whatever they happen to be. Instead of thinking about what something or someone is not, you focus on every detail of what they actually are.

And you know what? A lot of times, when you tune out all the silly noise in your fuzzy striped head, you discover all sorts of amazing things. Because you’re really, well – present.

And that actually turns out to BE a present, whether you’re stuck in an airport, doing the dishes, waiting for a doctor’s appointment or talking to someone in the middle of a crowded party. When you focus on the moment, you realize that every moment is a gift.

At least: it is when you’re a zebra!

The Zimple ZeCret to Happiness

“Happiness is not something that comes ready made. It comes from your own actions.”

-The Dalai Lama

 ZeBot says:

Happiness is all in your head!

I know it seems so dezeptively zimple, but there you have it: you think happy, therefore you are happy.

Don’t believe me? Try this: Go make faces at yourself in the mirror. Or if you’re in a really bad mood, growl and bark at yourself.

I understand that we all have different senses of humor, based on our educations, cultures and belief systems. But still.

Just try it – if it doesn’t make you laugh, you likely need a more powerful therapist than a zebra.

Or maybe you just need to go for a walk. Play with your dog. Watch a silly video. Watch the election news. Whatever it takes to crack you up.

The point is, we’ve all gotta take responsibility for our own neurochemistry – naturally.

You’re the only one who knows how you REALLY feel. So it makes sense that you’re also the only one who knows how to make yourself feel better.

Please don’t argue, okay? You KNOW you know.

To prove it, I did a little experiment with a human who’s super, uber, mega, off-the-charts grumpy.

You probably know him/her, so I will not mention any names. Anyway, I convinced this human to try the aforementioned ZeBoTherapy.

I borrowed a friend’s high-resolution galactoscope to take an interior brain image. What you’re  looking at is an enlarged photo of the resulting crystals of dopamine – the feel-good neurotransmitter.

From the image, you can see that – like life – happiness is not all black-and-white. It’s as magical and colorful as you are.

The ZeCret: take a little action – and let happiness take care of the rest.

Vive ZeImagination!

From the stripes on the French flag to buttery croissants and creamy Brie (which we often call “zee” in our species vernacular), zebras love Bastille Day.

It’s one of those holidays that (in America, if you’re a zebra) comes with no expectations. You can celebrate any way you like – and it always turns out to be the right way.

I was feeling rather intellectual this morning, so I thought I might get myself into ZeGallic mode by re-reading “A Tale of Two Cities.” But then I got all scared by Madame Defarge and those spooky knitting needles (not to mention the tumbrels, which rumor has it COULD be pulled by a zebra).

So I decided it would be be a far, far better thing that I  simply re-read Winnie the Pooh — and make some French Onion Zoup for zupper.

Before that, I wrote my own version of La Marseillaise, so I’d have something to sing while I cooked.

It goes like this:

“Aux stripes citoyens!
Formez some zebra fun!
Marchons, marchons!”

And then I kind of forgot how the song went, so I just sang:

“Le jour des zebras est arrivé!
So have a Happy Bastille Day!”

Okay, I know that I didn’t get lyrics and cadences EXACTLY right.

But you see, that just proves the point I was trying to make: there is no wrong way to celebrate (and that includes writing anthems any way you like).

One thing I’ve noticed about adult humans is that sometimes their imaginations are taken hostage by the so-called Real World.

They get so ensnared by deadlines and traffic and bills and politics and other adult human stuff that they can kinda forget about fun.

It’s hard for me to understand, because zebras don’t know how to do anything EXCEPT have fun.

So here’s what I’m hoping: that just for today, you’ll let your silly side (or zilly zide) storm the prison of your practicality and liberate your imagination from its grown-up confines.

The Kero Chronicles

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”
-Omar Khayyam

“If you want to learn how to celebrate every single moment, hang out with a zebra — or a dog.”  -ZeBot

As a zebra in pursuit of all that is beautiful and creative, I wanted to showcase the amazing grace of one of my best canine buddies–a magical Siberian Husky named Kero.

I can’t capture her in photographs, because (like life), she always moving and shifting, often in the most subtle ways.

She is the moment — and  the moment is Kero.

Here are a few of her moments in a movie, made with my own four hooves — and dedicated to Kero’s all-time favorite human, Andrew Sigal.

The video’s featured song is “I Love My Dog” by  Cat Stevens (proof that even cats love great dogs) and is available at iTunes.

P.S. If you love canine fun, please check out this interview with my friend Rico, a Sicilian-born truffle dog who recounts his adventures in his very own words!

The Zebra & the Starfish

ZeBot says:

The beachcomber called out to the zebra, “Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?”

The zebra replied “The sun is up, the tide is going out — if I don’t throw them in they will die.”

“But don’t you realize,” asked the beachcomber, “that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The zebra picked up another starfish and tossed it gently into the sea, beyond the breaking waves. “I made a difference for that one.”

 

Note: This is a zebraic version of a human folktale, adapted from the beautiful essay, The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley.

Follow ZeQuestions: A Zebra’s Tribute to the Ever-Magical Judith Vaughn

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”  –Albert Einstein

“Miracles happen every day. Expect them.” –Judith Vaughn

If you want to truly understand the magical world you live in, what’s the best way to learn?

How do you strike up a great conversation with a diverse group of people who may or may not know each other?

How do you nourish the gardens in your mind and heart so that they will continually blossom, grow and flourish?

Why am I asking so many questions, you ask? Good question!

It’s because I learned from my friend Judith that questions are magical elixirs that can unravel mysteries, reveal secrets, catalyze creativity and open the doors to endless possibilities.

I learned that answers live inside questions – and that sometimes, the questions themselves are the answers.

Happy Independence Day!

ZeBot says:

Independence really is happiness. It means being free to be who are – even when you’re a zebra.

It means never being afraid to show your stripes with pride – especially true for zebras!

As an independent zebra with an insatiable curiosity about the world, I find freedom in exploring the minds, hearts and imaginations of the humans and other creatures who come into my life. I hope you’ll be one of them.